STORYLINES
Pitchers and catchers officially reported 11 days ago. Position players showed up four days later. Now spring training really cranks up for the Nationals as exhibition games — and competition for jobs — begins Monday in Port St. Lucie against the New York Mets. Here are a few storylines from Viera, Fla.:
1. Can Jayson Werth live up to his massive contract » Washington shocked the industry when it handed a 31-year-old outfielder a seven-year, $126 million contract this winter. Maybe the Nats needed to overpay to attract top talent. But no one will be under the microscope more than Werth, who was an excellent player in Philadelphia but overshadowed by stars like Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Jimmy Rollins. Whatever the long-term prospects of that contract, there’s no question Werth’s bat will help ease the loss of slugger Adam Dunn, who departed for Chicago. But is just matching his previous production good enough with so much money on the table? Werth is a multi-dimensional player, of course. General manager Mike Rizzo wanted to improve his team’s overall defense and Werth remains a top athlete with a cannon for an arm.
| Position battles |
| Outfielders Pretty crowded group. Top free-agent signing Jayson Werth takes over in right field. Center field is Nyjer Morgan’s — if he doesn’t blow the opportunity. But Roger Bernadina, Michael Morse and Rick Ankiel will fight to start in left field. In reality, all three will get their at-bats this season. |
| Infielders Limited competition here. Ryan Zimmerman is an All-Star at third. Middle is promising with Ian Desmond, 25, at short and Danny Espinosa, 24, at second. Adam LaRoche was signed to fill the hole at first when Adam Dunn left. The utility infield spot could get interesting between Jerry Hairston Jr. and incumbent Alberto Gonzalez. |
| Catchers Ivan Rodriguez starts the year as the No. 1. But the veteran may not hold on for long. Wilson Ramos, 23, and the now-healthy Jesus Flores, 26, will battle for the back-up spot. No surprise if one of those two garners most of the playing time by midseason. |
| Starting pitchers No Stephen Strasburg. But the Nats hope this group is still deeper than recent years. Can Livan Hernandez repeat his impressive 2010? Expect a breakout year from Jordan Zimmermann. John Lannan and Jason Marquis are good bets to make it. Tom Gorzelanny, acquired via trade from Cubs, has an inside track on the fifth spot. Ross Detwiler and Yunesky Maya wait in wings at Triple-A and Washington hopes Chien-Ming Wang contributes soon. |
| Bullpen This was last year’s strength. Drew Storen, Sean Burnett and Tyler Clippard were all excellent last season. Collin Balester was a revelation once he gave up starting. Veteran Todd Coffey is in the mix, too, as are young flamethrowers Elvin Ramirez and Henry Rodriguez. Look out for hard-throwing Cole Kimball, who dominated in the Arizona Fall League. |
2. Order at the top » Nyjer Morgan is likely the Nats’ leadoff hitter in 2011. And it is clear by the numbers that Ian Desmond prefers hitting second. That’s Washington’s best hope at the top of the order. Can those two get on base enough to set the table for Ryan Zimmerman, Jayson Werth and Adam LaRoche? Morgan’s struggles in 2010 and little consistency from the No. 2 spot throughout the season kept RBI chances to a minimum for Zimmerman, Adam Dunn and Josh Willingham. The Nats need Morgan to look more like the player who posted a .396 on-base average in 49 games in 2009. Even somewhere around .360 would do wonders. Desmond had an .848 OPS in 46 games batting second in 2010, by far his most productive spot in the order.
3. The phenoms » Neither Stephen Strasburg nor Bryce Harper will have any impact this spring training in Viera. But they are around to provide hard evidence of Washington’s future. Strasburg is just beginning to throw a baseball over five months after Tommy John surgery on his right elbow. At best he will pitch in minor league games in August and make a big-league appearance sometime in September. But Washington won’t rush him. Fellow No. 1 pick Harper is on the 40-man roster thanks to the monster contract he signed last summer so he’ll stick around big league camp — for a while. Harper will serve as a reserve for the first week or so of exhibition games, get a taste of life in the majors and then return to minor league camp. Harper will likely begin the year at low-A Hagerstown.
